Ecological & Restorative Theory

For class, my classmate Ashley and I partnered up to discuss Ecological and Restorative Theory.  I was happy to present on the topic because I honestly didn’t know much about it.  I’d like to present some of the topics we presented to our class and what I found particularly interesting.

Despite the fact that we are facing increasing environmental problems, we continue to behave in ways that are damaging to our own health and to the planet.  It is argued by many that our disconnection with the natural world may be contributing to our planet’s destruction. Global warming, pollution, species extinction and other environmental problems do not just happen.  Arguments of Global Warming aside, the point is this: human beings release chemicals into the land, air, and water every minute of the day and most of us do it without any thought of possible consequences.

The fact that people do not always behave environmentally does not necessarily mean they are not concerned. Although many people are aware of and care about environmental problems, this just isn’t always reflected in their behavior.  In an effort to understand this discrepancy, psychologists have examined the…

• Motivation,
• Attitudes
• Values
• and Beliefs

…of why some people engage in environmentally responsible behavior and why others do not.

Arguments exist stating that humans possess an innate need to affiliate with other living things. The biophilia hypothesis attempts to explain the human desire to relate to the natural environment. Humans began living in cities, separated from the natural world, relatively late in our history.  It is considered unlikely that we have erased all the learning about nature’s value embedded in our biology.  Evidence of the biophilia hypothesis lies in the popularity of outdoor wilderness activities and our fondness for natural scenery. Despite this evident attraction, there is considerable variability in the extent to which individuals are drawn to nature.

The understanding of our interconnectedness with the earth and sense of inclusion in nature is often referred to as our ecological identity or ecological self.  The easiest way to explain this is that damage to the planet is seen as damage to the self.

The Importance of Nature

Benefits of nature date back centuries and crosses all cultures.  The use of nature as a healing mechanism has only recently been applied to the healthcare environment because healthcare is becoming much more patient centered.  Researchers have discovered that environmental features can play a significant role in health outcomes by:

• Reducing anxiety
• Lowering blood pressure
• Lessening pain
• Shortening hospital stays

Ecological restorative theory is an emerging study, so researchers are searching for sound and credible information that proves gardens as an efficient and cost effective way to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction.  However, it is believed that nature helps health outcomes by providing restoration from stress.  Stress is typically an outcome itself and can affect other outcomes as well.

Unfortunately, stress is considered a major problem in healthcare.  Patients, visitors and staff can all suffer from stress, sometimes due to the physical environment itself.  Hospitals are usually thought of as uncomfortable and unpleasant, which can add additional stress.  How many of you feel that hospitals are unpleasant?  I’ll admit that I typically find the environment within a hospital uncomfortable and bland aesthetically.  Typically I’m overwhelmed by how dreary and dated the environment feels… and that only makes me want to get out of there as soon as possible!

Sources:

Dancoff, J. (2000) Healthy Seniors: Gardening for Health. Retrieved from <http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/1738.50891&gt;

Marcus, C. C., Barnes, M., & Ulrich, R. (1999). Effects of Gardens on Health Outcomes: Theory and Research. In Healing gardens. John Wiley and Sons.

Nisbet, Elizabeth K., John M. Zelenski, and Steven A. Murphy. “The Nature Relatedness Scale: Linking Individuals’ Connection With Nature to Environmental Concern and Behavior.” Environment and Behavior 41.5 (2008): 715-40. SAGE Publications. Web. <http://online.sagepub.com&gt;.

Zeisel, John. “Treatment Effects of Healing Gardens for Alzheimer’s: A Difficult Thing to Prove.” Edinburgh Garden Paper: 1-6. Print.

Filed under: Environment, Theory, Architecture, biophilia hypothesis, ecological theory, healing gardens, interior design, landscape design, restorative theory